Method for knitting intarsia pattern knitting fabric and knitting program producing device therefor

ABSTRACT

An object of the invention is to obtain an intarsia pattern fabric which is not likely to cause yarn entanglement, eliminates the need for divided knitting, and provides good productivity even when a cylindrical knitting fabric is to be knitted. in a double bed flat knitting machine, a carriage and an intarsia carrier capable of knitting with two sets of cams are used to knit two courses of knitting fabric by moving a carriage six courses. An intarsia pattern is knitted at a front needle bed FB, and a knitting yarn between the intarsia carrier halted near a boundary and a knitting needle F is used to perform kick-back of the intarsia carrier by the third-course movement of the carriage. A back body is knitted while the yarn is hooked on an unused knitting needle F in a back needle bed BB. The sixth-course movement of the carriage releases a knitting yarn from the knitting beed F in the back needle bed BB while the back body is being knitted.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method for knitting an intarsiapattern knitting fabric for inserting an intarsia pattern while knittinggarments such as sweaters in the form of a cylindrical seamless knittingfabric, and an apparatus for generating a knitting program thereof.

BACKGROUND ART

An intarsia pattern knitting fabric as shown in FIG. 7 has beenconventionally known as a typical knitting fabric knitted by a flatknitting machine. FIG. 7(a) shows an example in which an intarsiapattern knitting fabric 3 with a diamond pattern is knitted in a part ofthe front body 2 of a sweater 1, and other portions are made of a groundknitting fabric 4. This sweater 1 can be produced seamless as acylindrical knitting fabric by knitting a back body opposing a frontbody 2 in parallel to the front body so that the front and back bodiesare joined at both ends. In lower portions of the front body 2 and theback body, a rib knitting fabric 5 called a bottom rib is knitted. FIG.7(b) shows an example in which an intarsia pattern knitting fabric 8 ofa vertically striped pattern is knitted in a part of the front body 7 ofa sweater 6, and other portions are made of a ground knitting fabric 9.

FIG. 8 shows the basic manner in which a knitting needle is used whenknitting a cylindrical knitting fabric including the intarsia patternknitting fabrics 3 and 8 shown in FIG. 7 with a double bed flat knittingmachine having a front needle bed FB and a back needle bed BB. Theintarsia pattern knitting fabrics 3 and 8 and the ground knittingfabrics 4 and 9 are knitted using yarns fed from the tips of differentyarn carriers. In the front needle bed FB and the back needle bed BB,knitting is performed using knitting needles A, B, C, . . . shown bycapital letters for the front bodies 2 and 7 and knitting needles a, b,c, . . . shown by lower-case letters for the back bodies. Therefore,when a yarn as shown by a solid line is used in the portions of theintarsia pattern 3 and 8, a different yarn from that for the intarsiapattern knitting fabrics 3 and 8 is used for the ground knitting fabrics4 and 9, as shown by a broken line.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic cross-sectional structure of a double bed flatknitting machine 10 that can knit a cylindrical seamless knitting fabricas shown in FIG. 7. In the double bed flat knitting fabric 10, the frontneedle bed FB and the back needle bed BB are arranged with a tooth mouth11 interposed therebetween, and include a large number of knittingneedles 12 and 13 that can proceed and recede with respect to the toothmouth 11. The knitting needles 12 and 13 are arranged with an equalpitch in the direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet. A pluralityof thread guide rails 14 are suspended so that a plurality of yarncarriers 15 can travel. A carriage 16 can move in the directionperpendicular to the drawing sheet and is provided with a cam mechanismfor moving the knitting needles 12 and 13 in the front needle bed FB andthe back needle bed BB selectively in the direction parallel to thedrawing sheet, and for driving a knitting operation. The carriage 16couples the front and back needle beds at a bridge portion 17. Thebridge portion 17 is provided with a transfer pin 18 so that the pin canemerge and submerge. The transfer pin 18 is engaged with the yarncarrier 15 in the projected state and allows the yarn carrier 15 totravel along the thread guide rail 14, led by the movement of thecarriage 16.

When knitting the intarsia pattern knitting fabrics 3 and 8 as shown inFIG. 7, a plurality of thread feeding members such as the yarn carriers15 are used for feeding yarns as shown in FIG. 8 for the intarsiapattern knitting fabrics 3 and 8 and the ground knitting fabrics 4 and9. The thread feeding member such as the yarn carrier 15 used forknitting the intarsia pattern portions 3 and 8 is halted near a boundarybetween the intarsia pattern knitting fabrics 3 and 8 and the groundknitting fabrics 4 and 9 in each knitting course in order to be usedagain for knitting the intarsia pattern knitting fabrics 3 and 8 in thenext course. In other words, different thread feeding members are usedfor knitting the adjacent knitting fabrics sandwiching the boundary.Therefore, the plurality of yarn carriers 15 are jammed near theboundary between the intarsia pattern knitting fabrics 3 and 8 and theground knitting fabrics 4 and 9. As a result, the yarn carriers 15 mayinterfere with each other, and the tip of a knitting needle supplied forthe knitting operation may collide against a halted yarn carrier 15.Alternatively, yarn entanglement may occur, that is, a yarn extendingfrom the final stitch of the intarsia pattern knitting fabrics 3 and 8to a halted yarn carrier is caught by the tip of the knitting needle 12or 13 when knitting the ground knitting fabrics 4 and 9 adjacent to theintarsia pattern knitting fabrics 3 and 8.

In order to solve such a problem, a thread feeding member for intarsiapattern knitting that can swing and displace a yarn feeding portion ofthe thread feeding member forward and backward in the travelingdirection when knitting the intarsia pattern is considered. For example,the present inventor discloses a structure of a thread guiding apparatusas a thread feeding member that can swing and displace a yarn feedingportion at the tip of the thread feeding member and can be in a state inwhich the yarn is extending in the direction substantially immediatelyabove from the final stitch when it is halted, and a method for knittingan intarsia pattern, in Japanese Examined Patent Publication JP-B261-51061 (1986). When a thread feeding member in which the position ofthe yarn feeding portion is changed is used, a plurality of intarsiapatterns can be inserted when knitting one course with a carriageprovided with a plurality of sets of cams for each needle bed.Furthermore, Japanese Examined Patent Publication JP-B2 61-23300 (1986)discloses a related technique that avoids interference between threadguiding apparatuses as thread feeding members by displacing a lowerportion having a hole that can guide the yarn in the vertical directionsuch that the lower portion penetrates the gap between the knittingneedles.

FIG. 10(a) shows a case in which when knitting the intarsia pattern 20divided into three sections 20 a, 20 b, and 20 c, normal carriers 21 a,21 b, and 21 c in which the yarn feeding portions 26 a, 26 b and 26 c ofthe thread feeding member are not displaced are used. FIG. 10(b) shows acase in which intarsia carriers 22 a, 22 b, and 22 c in which the yarnfeeding portions 27 a, 27 b and 27 c of the thread feeding member aredisplaced are used. As shown in FIG. 10(a), when knitting the intarsiapattern 20 from the left to the right with the normal carriers 21 a, 21b and 21 c, if one set of knitting cams is provided with the carriagefor each needle bed, knitting is started from the section 20 c with thenormal carrier 21 c on the right side, then knitting is performed in thesection 20 b with the intermediate normal carrier 21 b, and finallyknitting is performed in the section 20 a with the normal carrier 21 aon the left side. The carriage has to make movement including aplurality of reverse movements. This is because the start positions ofthe normal carriers 21 b and 21 c are present in the sections 20 a and20 b on their left, and when knitting is performed earlier in thesections 20 a and 20 b on their left, yarns 28 extending from the normalcarriers 21 b and 21 c at the start positions to the first stitch of thesections 20 b and 20 c may be caught when knitting the sections 20 a and20 b.

In the intarsia carriers 22 a, 22 b, and 22 c shown in FIG. 10(b), inthe start positions, yarns 29 extending from the intarsia carriers 22 band 22 c present in the sections 20 a and 20 b on their left to thefirst stitch in the sections 20 b and 20 c can extend substantiallyimmediately above by swinging and displacing the yarn feeding portions27 b and 27 c. The yarns 29 substantially do not enter the sections 20 aand 20 b on their left, so that the yarns are not caught even ifknitting is performed earlier in the sections 20 a and 20 b on theirleft. This is because when knitting in the sections 20 a and 20 b ontheir left, even if the positions of the intarsia carriers 22 b and 22 care present in the sections 20 a and 20 b, the yarn feeding portions 27b and 27 c are swung and displaced so that the yarns 29 extendsubstantially immediately above. Therefore, when the intarsia carriers22 a, 22 b, and 22 c are used, it is possible to knit the intarsiapattern 20 from the left to the right by one movement of the carriage.

In recent years, a technique for producing a seamless product byknitting a garment such as a sweater in the form of a cylinder using aflat knitting machine as shown in FIG. 7 has been developed. The presentinventor teaches a method for knitting a fabric employing the front andback needle beds, such as rib knitting, in the form of a cylinder byallocating alternately the knitting needle of each needle bed to thefront and back knitting fabric, using a double bed flat knittingmachine, in Japanese Examined Patent Publication JP-B2 3-75656 (1991).Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 10-1852 (1998)discloses a method for knitting a cylindrical knitting fabric having anintarsia portion.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 10-1852 discloses twomethods for knitting a cylindrical fabric in which an intarsia patternis designed in the front knitting fabric, not using a thread feedingmember dedicated for intarsia provided with a function in that a yarnfeeding portion is displaced as shown in FIG. 10(b). However, a threadfeeding member in which a yarn feeding portion is fixed as shown in FIG.10(a) is used. In a first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 of thispublication, even if there is no intarsia pattern in the back body inthe back needle bed, the back body is knitted in a divided manner inaccordance with the boundary portion of the intarsia pattern of thefront body, and the thread feeding member is reversed in the course ofknitting and return knitting. Therefore, interference between the threadfeeding members and yarn entanglement are prevented. In other words,when knitting a course for the ground portion opposing the intarsiapattern, (1) a kick-back of moving the yarn carrier for an intarsiapattern to the inside of the range of the intarsia pattern is performed,and then the ground portion is knitted all the way up to the intarsiapattern, and (2) a kick-back of moving the yarn carriers for an intarsiapattern and a ground portion to outside the range of the intarsiapattern is performed, and then the remaining ground portion is knitted.Furthermore, in a second embodiment shown in FIG. 3 in this publication,it is attempted to prevent interference and yarn entanglement byretracting the thread feeding member used for knitting the intarsiapattern of the front body to the outside of the width of the entireknitting fabric, when knitting the back body.

In the first embodiment disclosed in Japanese Unexamined PatentPublication JP-A 10-1852, return knitting is performed when knitting theback body. As described in paragraph of this publication, stitches aredense in a portion in which the thread feeding member makes a reversemovement in the return knitting, so that the appearance of the knittingfabric may deteriorate. This problem may be solved by decreasing thestitch density in the reverse movement portion, but adjustment isdifficult and takes time. Furthermore, since the back body is notknitted without a break but has to be knitted in a divided manner, theproductivity is low. In the second embodiment, although there is no needof performing return knitting, it is necessary to feed the yarn to thethread feeding member directly from the above, as described above inparagraph of this publication, so that the manner of feeding the threadis limited and a large number of colors cannot be taken.

When the thread feeding member for intarsia knitting as disclosed inJapanese Examined Patent Publication JP-B2 61-51061 is used, there is nolimitation regarding the number of colors or the manner of feeding thethread, and adjustment of the stitch density involved in return knittingis not necessary. However, it is known that the problem of yarnentanglement is not necessarily solved. Even if the yarn feeding portionof the thread feeding member is displaced, the precision of the positionin which it stops in the boundary portion of the intarsia pattern is notnecessarily sufficient.

FIG. 11 shows a state in which the final stitch of the intarsia patternis formed with a knitting needle F in the front needle bed FB, forexample, and the yarn feeding portion 22 of the intarsia carrier ishalted. In the knitting needles F and G, a new loop of the intarsiapattern is formed by a yarn 23, and an old loop 24 is knocked over. Ifthe yarn feeding portion 22 of the intarsia carrier stops at a positionin the range A, for example, it can be believed that yarn entanglementdoes not occur in which a yarn 25 extending from the knitting needle Fof the front needle bed FB to the yarn feeding portion 22 is caught by aknitting needle e of the back needle bed BB. This is because there is adifference in height between the yarn feeding portion 22 and theknitting needle F. Therefore, the range A is extended up to a positionslightly beyond a point immediately above the knitting needle e.However, it is difficult to halt the yarn feeding portion 22 within therange A because of the halt precision. As shown in FIG. 9, the yarncarrier 15 is a type in which travel led by the carriage 16 along thethread guiding rail 14 suspended above the tooth mouth 11 can beswitched between a travel state and a halt state by being engaged withthe transfer pin 18 emerging from or submerging into the bridge portion17 of the carriage 16. When the engagement with the transfer pin 18 isreleased, the yarn carrier 15 is halted in the middle of the threadguiding rail 14. The characteristics that are difficult to achieve arerequired, that is, the sliding resistance between the yarn carrier 15and the thread guiding rail 14 is small to facilitate the movement whenbeing led by the carriage 16, and when not being led by the carriage 16,the movement should not be facilitated. A lubricant is applied to reducethe sliding resistance, and an adsorptive power by a magnet can beutilized in order to increase the braking properties. However, it isdifficult to significantly increase the halt precision of the yarncarrier. Therefore, even using the intarsia carriers 22 a, 22 b and 22c, the yarn feeding portion 22 cannot stay within the range A in whichyarn entanglement hardly occurs, and the yarn feeding portion 22 ishalted outside the range A, so that yarn entanglement easily occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatusfor knitting an intarsia pattern knitting fabric that hardly causes yarnentanglement, eliminates divided knitting, and provides a goodproductivity.

The invention provides a method for knitting an intern pattern knittingfabric using a flat knitting machine in which the tooth mouth (i.e.,needle gap) is formed between a plurality of opposing needle beds, forknitting a cylindrical knitting fabric in which a front knitting fabricand a back knitting fabric are joined on both ends with an intarsiapattern inserted, using a plurality of thread feeding members forfeeding yarns to the tooth mouth while traveling in a longitudinaldirection of the needle beds. The method includes providing the flatknitting machine with a function for intarsia knitting for displacing aposition at which a yarn is fed from the thread feeding member to thetooth mouth during the intarsia knitting; and halting the thread feedingmember for feeding the yarn used for knitting near a final stitch of theintarsia pattern after knitting the intarsia pattern. A knitting fabricopposing a knitting fabric into which the intarsia pattern is knitted,is knitted in a state in which a yarn extending from a knitting needleholding the final stitch of the intarsia pattern to the yarn feedingportion of the thread feeding member is hooked on an unused knittingneedle that is on a needle bed opposing a needle bed to which theknitting needle belongs. The hooked yarn is released after knitting theknitting fabric opposing the knitting fabric into which the intarsiapattern is knitted.

The invention is characterized in that the cylindrical knitting fabricis knitted by allocating knitting needles of each needle bed alternatelyfor knitting a front knitting fabric and for knitting a back knittingfabric in a double bed flat knitting machine in which one needle bed isarranged each before and after the tooth mouth. Further, the inventionis characterized in that a knitting needle that belongs to a needle bedopposing a needle bed to which a knitting needle holding the finalstitch and is located near the knitting needle is used as the unusedknitting needle.

Further, the invention is characterized in that a carriage provided witha plurality of sets of cams that drive knitting needles of each needlebed to conduct a knitting operation is used. When knitting a knittingfabric opposing a knitting fabric into the intarsia pattern is knitted,the yarn extending from a knitting needle holding the final stitch ofthe intarsia pattern to the yarn feeding portion of the thread feedingmember is hooked on an unused knitting needle. Hooking and release ofthe hooked yarn are performed alternately.

Furthermore, the invention provides an apparatus for generating aknitting program for an intarsia pattern knitting fabric that generatesa knitting program for knitting a cylindrical knitting fabric in which afront knitting fabric and a back knitting fabric are joined on both endswith an intarsia pattern inserted. The knitting is performed using anautomatic flat knitting machine while halting the thread feeding memberfor feeding the yarn used for knitting the intarsia pattern near a finalstitch of the intarsia pattern for each knitting course of the intarsiapattern, and the knitting program is based on input of a predeterminedcontrol code. The automatic flat knitting machine includes a tooth mouthformed between a plurality of opposing needle beds, and a plurality ofthread feeding members for feeding a yarn to the tooth mouth whiletraveling in a longitudinal direction of the needle beds, and theknitting machine is able to displace a position at which the yarn is fedfrom the thread feeding member to the tooth mouth between before andafter (i.e., during) knitting of the intarsia pattern.

The apparatus includes an intarsia knitting detecting means fordetecting whether or not there is a control code instructing an intarsiapattern knitting in input control codes; and a control inserting meansfor inserting a control operation in which a knitting fabric opposing aknitting fabric into which the intarsia pattern is knitted is knitted ina state where a yarn extending from the knitting needle holding thefinal stitch of the intarsia pattern to a yarn feeding portion of thethread feeding member is hooked on an unused knitting needle on a needlebed opposing a needle bed to which the knitting needle belongs, and thehooked yarn is released after knitting the knitting fabric. The controlinserting means inserts the control operation when a control codeinstructing intarsia pattern knitting is detected by the intarsiaknitting detecting means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The objects, features and advantages will be clarified with reference tothe following detailed description with reference to the followingdrawings:

FIG. 1 is a detailed knitting view showing a method for knitting anintarsia pattern knitting fabric as one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view partially showing a state in which a yarn ishooked on the back needle bed in the third course in the carriagemovement of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a right side view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view showing pattern data corresponding to the knittingmethod of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a knitting view partially showing a joining method in theboundary when knitting the intarsia pattern knitting fabric as shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a cross-sectional shape of a cylindricalknitting fabric that can be knitted by applying the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a view showing the appearance of the cylindrical knittingfabric having an intarsia pattern.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which a knitting needle is used whenknitting the cylindrical knitting fabric of FIG. 7 with a double bedflat knitting machine.

FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of a double bed flat knittingmachine.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a state in which the intarsia pattern isknitted using the normal carrier and the intarsia carrier in compassion.

FIG. 11 is a plan view partially showing the range in which yarnentanglement does not occur with the intarsia carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, preferable examples of the present invention will bedescribed more specifically with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a detailed knitting state in a case where the intarsiapatterns 3 and 8 are knitted with a double bed flat knitting machine soas to have front bodies 2 and 7 of cylindrical knitting fabrics as shownin FIG. 7. For simplification, this will be described with a reducednumber of knitting needles used for knitting each portion. For knittingthe front knitting fabric such as the front body, knitting needles A, B,C, D, . . . , which are shown by capital letters and present in everysecond line, are used. For knitting the back knitting fabric such as theback body, knitting needles a, b, c, d, . . . , which are shown by lowercase letters and present in every second line, are used. It is assumedthat in each needle bed, the capital knitting needles A, B, C, D, . . .are positioned at the odd numbered line from the left, for example, andthe lower case knitting needles a, b, c, d, . . . are positioned at the,even numbered line.

A carriage that can activate two sets of cams for each needle bed isused. In a movement in one direction of the carriage, the cam on theleading system side is taken as an L side, and the cam on the trailingsystem side is taken as a T side. When the carriage moves in the otherdirection, the leading system and the trailing system are switched. Asthe yarn carrier, an intarsia carrier as shown in FIG. 10(b) is used asthe yarn carrier. The carriage disclosed in Japanese Examined PatentPublication JP-B2 61-51061 is provided with a pin for switching thedisplacement of a yarn feeding portion, in addition to the transfer pinfor engaging the intarsia carrier. Swing displacement of the yarnfeeding portion can be performed by the transfer pin, and each pin isarranged in accordance with the position of each cam. In thisembodiment, movement of six courses (shown by {circle around (1)} to{circle around (6)}) of the carriage constitutes one cycle, and in onecycle, a knitting fabric of two courses can be knitted.

In the first course of the carriage movement, the carriage is moved fromthe left end to a point toward the right, and the front body is dividedinto the intarsia pattern portion and the ground left side portion. Theintarsia pattern portion is knitted by the knitting needles F, G, H andI using the cam on the L side, and the ground left side portion isknitted by the knitting needles A, B, C, D and E using the cam on the Tside. As shown by a solid line, the left end of the yarn used inknitting the intarsia pattern portion is tucked for being joined to theknitting needle E on the right end of the ground left portion shown by abroken line. Thus, the first course of the intarsia pattern and theground left side portion is knitted.

In the second course of the carriage movement, the carriage is movedfrom the point toward the right to the left end, and the front body isdivided into the intarsia pattern portion and the ground left sideportion. The intarsia pattern portion is knitted by the knitting needlesI, H, G and F using the cam on the L side, and the ground left sideportion is knitted by the knitting needles E, D, C, B and A using thecam on the T side. The right end of the yarn knitting the intarsiapattern portion is tucked for being joined to the knitting needle J onthe left end of the ground right portion. The right end of the yarnknitting the ground left portion is tucked for joining to the knittingneedle F on the left end of the intarsia pattern portion. Thus, thesecond course of the intarsia pattern and the ground left side portionis knitted.

In the third course of the carriage movement, the carriage is moved fromthe left end to the right end. While the back body for knitting needlesa, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, and m is knitted with the cam on theT side, a kick-back of moving the intarsia carrier to the right side ofthe knitting needle F with the pin on the L side is performed, and theyarn extending from the knitting needle F on the left end of theintarsia pattern to the yarn feeding portion of the intarsia carrier ishooked on an unused knitting needle F in the back needle bed by the camon the L side. The yarn is hooked by the leading cam on the L side, sothat when knitting the back body by the cam on the T side, the yarn fromthe knitting needle F that is in the left end of the intarsia pattern inthe front needle bed FB extends to the yarn feeding portion of theintarsia carrier via the knitting needle F of the back needle bed BB.Thus, even if the precision is such that the halt position of the yarnfeeding portion is outside the range A of FIG. 11, yarn entanglementhardly occurs. In this manner, the first course of the ground of theback body is knitted.

In the fourth course of the carriage movement, the carriage is movedfrom the right end to a point toward the left, and the right sideportion of the ground of the front body for knitting needles M, L, K,and J is knitted with the cam on the T side. In the fifth course of thecarriage movement, the carriage is moved from the point toward the leftto the right end, and the right side portion of the front body forknitting needles J, K, L, and M is knitted with the cam on the T side.The left end of the yarn knitting the right side portion of the groundof the front body is tucked for being joined to the knitting needle I onthe right end of the intarsia pattern. In this manner, the first and thesecond courses of the right side portion of the ground of the front bodyare knitted.

In the sixth course of the carriage movement, the carriage is moved fromthe right end to the left end. While the ground of the back body forknitting needles m, l, k, j, i, h, g, f, e, d, c, b, and a is knittedwith the cam on the L side, a kick-back of moving the intarsia carrierto the left side of the knitting needle F with the pin on the T side isperformed, and a shake-off of releasing the hooked yarn by proceedingand receding the knitting needle F on the back needle bed by the cam onthe T side is performed. In this manner, the second course of the groundof the back body is knitted, and the hooked yarn on the knitting needleF on the back needle bed is released.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the principle that can prevent yarn entanglement whenthe yarn is hooked on the opposing needle bed in the course of knitting,as in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, in the third course of thecarriage movement of FIG. 1, as shown by a broken line, the yarn 31extending from the knitting needle F on the left end of the intarsiapattern knitted in the front needle bed FB to the yarn feeding portion30 is hooked on the knitting needle F on the back needle bed BB as shownby a solid line, in cooperation with the kick-back of the yarn feedingportion 30. Herein, “hook” refers to an operation of only catching theyarn 31 with a knitting needle, and does not include knocking over anold loop 32 as the knitting needles F and G on the front needle bed FB.As shown in FIG. 3, the yarn 31 extending from the knitting needle F onthe back needle bed BB to the yarn feeding portion 30 is hardly caughteven if another knitting needle on the back needle bed BB side isprojected to the tooth mouth (i.e., needle gap) 41, as shown by aphantom line. When the yarn 31 extends from the knitting needle F on thefront needle bed FB to the same yarn feeding portion 30, as shown by thebroken line, the yarn is caught easily by the knitting needle projectingfrom the back needle bed BB to the tooth mouth 41. This difference makesit possible to prevent yarn entanglement in this embodiment.

When the knitting needle F on the back needle bed BB opposing theknitting needle F on the front needle bed FB is not unused, the yarn canbe hooked on another knitting needle that is unused on the back needlebed BB. Furthermore, when the intarsia patterns (for example, diamondpatterns) are arranged in the lateral direction, a plurality of intarsiacarriers are halted near each other. In this case, it is preferable toselect an unused knitting needle to be hooked so that the intarsiacarriers are as apart (far away from each other) as possible. The yarnextending between the knitting needle F on the front needle bed FB andan unused knitting needle on the back needle bed is located in a lowposition, so that it is not caught by another knitting needle.Furthermore, when the catching amount of the knitting needle F on theback needle bed BB that hooks the yarn 31 with a stitch cam is set to belarge, the yarn 31 extending from this knitting needle F to the yarnfeeding portion 30 separates from the hook, so that yarn entanglementcan be prevented more reliably.

FIG. 4 shows an example instructing generation of a knitting program forperforming knitting as shown in FIG. 1 with an automatic flat knittingmachine, utilizing pattern data in which texture patterns are linked tothe color numbers. Such a knitting program is generated by inputtingcontrol codes designating stitches with the color number, using thecourse of the knitting fabric that is knitted by an operator in a CADapparatus as a unit. For example, the color number 51 indicates frontknitting (front calico, front stitches of stockinette), the color number52 indicates back knitting (back calico, back stitches of stockinette),the color number 11 indicates the front tuck, and the color number 12indicates the back tuck. The color number 13 is a pattern spread pointand indicates a range in which the intarsia carrier led by the transferpin is moved. On the right side, the courses {circle around (1)} to{circle around (6)} of the carriage movement of FIG. 1 are showncorrespondingly. The intarsia pattern can be inserted in two or moreportions of the front body or the back body. In the fifth course and thetenth course, the intarsia pattern knitting on the front needle bed isdetected so as to make automatic insertion possible.

FIG. 5 shows a method for joining the knitting fabrics in the boundaryof the intarsia pattern. A joining method with tucks 61 and 62 on bothsides as shown in FIG. 5(a) is described with reference to the detailedknitting of FIG. 1. A joining method using a tuck 61 on one side asshown in FIG. 5(b) can be utilized. In the case of joining with a tuckon one side, the intarsia pattern can be knitted in a simpler manner.

FIG. 6 shows the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical knittingfabric that can be knitted by applying the present invention. FIG. 6(a)shows a complete cylindrical knitting fabric 70, such as a sweater asshown in the detailed knitting of FIG. 1. FIG. 6(b) shows a cylindricalknitting fabric 71 that is partially separated, such as a cardigan. Eachcylindrical knitting pattern 70 or 71 has the intarsia pattern portion72 and the ground portion 73. In even such a separate cylindricalknitting fabric 71, the knitting fabric with the intarsia pattern can beknitted efficiently by applying the invention.

In the case where the width of the intarsia pattern is increasedgradually and decreased gradually as in the intarsia pattern knittingfabric 3 of a diamond pattern shown in FIG. 7(a), the intarsia patterncan be knitted in the same manner as in the case of the intarsia patternknitting pattern 8, in which the width of the pattern is constant asshown in FIG. 7(b). In order to knit an intarsia pattern in which theknitting width is changed rapidly in a stepwise manner in the frontbody, knitting is first finished by the method as described above, andknitting is performed in the back body in this state, and knitting canproceed while performing a front tuck up to the starting point of thecourse immediately before the next course.

A band-like region such as the intarsia pattern knitting fabric 8 shownin FIG. 7(b) can be knitted with a different yarn to make this regionstronger than other knitting fabrics because this is a knitting fabricprovided with button holes of a cardigan. Such a knitting fabric regionis knitted using another carrier than other knitting fabrics, so that itis necessary to halt the carrier in the boundary and it is necessary toprevent yarn entanglement when knitting the opposing knitting fabric. Inorder to prevent yarn entanglement, the present invention can beapplied. In addition to the cylindrical knitting fabric, in the casewhere knitting fabrics are partially opposed to each other in a pocketor the like, the invention can be applied to that portion. Thus,“intarsia pattern” to which the invention can be applied includes notonly a knitting fabric region as decoration, but also includes a portionfor which it is necessary to halt the carrier in the boundary of regionsknitted with different yarns to knit the opposing knitting fabrics.Furthermore, the invention also can be applied in the case where anintarsia pattern is present in the back knitting fabric of a cylindricalknitting fabric and the front knitting fabric is to be knitted, or inthe case where intarsia patterns are present in the knitting fabrics onboth sides.

In the above description, intarsia carriers of a swing type for swingingand displacing the position of the yarn feeding portion 30 are used forintarsia knitting. The invention can be performed in the same manner, aslong as vertical movement or horizontal movement of the yarn feedingportion of the thread feeding member is provided. For example, theinvention also can be applied to a case in which a flat knitting machinehaving a steel band for the kick-back of the carrier is suspended on athread guiding rail, and can be moved horizontally by a motor, iscombined with a carrier that can move vertically, as disclosed inJapanese Patent Publication 2903152.

Furthermore, the cylindrical knitting fabric can be knitted withoutallocating knitting needles every other line, when a four-bed flatknitting machine having a front needle bed and a back needle bed each intwo stages of the upper and the lower stages is used. When the yarnextending between the halted intarsia carrier and the knitting needle ishooked on an unused knitting needle on the needle bed side to which theknitting needle used for knitting belongs, yarn entanglement can beprevented.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and the rangeof equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embracedtherein.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, according to the invention, a cylindrical knittingfabric in which the front knitting fabric and the back knitting fabricare joined on both ends is knitted using a flat knitting machine whichcan displace the position of the yarn feeding portion. The yarnextending from the yarn feeding portion of the thread feeding memberthat is used for knitting an intarsia pattern portion and is halted nearthe boundary of the intarsia pattern to the knitting needle that holdsthe final stitch of the intarsia pattern is hooked on an unused knittingneedle on the needle bed opposing the needle bed to which the knittingneedle that holds the final stitch of the intarsia pattern belongs, whenknitting the knitting fabric opposing the knitting fabric into which theintarsia pattern is knitted. Therefore, yarn entanglement hardly occurs.It is not necessary to perform return knitting for divided knitting nearthe boundary of the intarsia pattern, and the quality of the knittingfabric can be improved, and the production cost can be reduced.

Furthermore, according to the invention, the knitting needle is usedalternately for knitting a front knitting fabric and for knitting a backknitting fabric even in a double bed flat knitting machine. Therefore, arib knitting texture in which front stitches and back stitches are mixedcan be formed in each knitting fabric. It is highly possible thatindividual stitches of the knitting fabric on one side is held by aknitting needle that belongs to either one of the front and the backneedle beds, and the knitting needle of the opposing needle bed isunused, so that an unused needle to be hooked can be found easily.

According to the invention, the yarn is hooked on an unused knittingneedle that is on the opposing needle bed near the knitting needleholding the final stitch of the intarsia pattern. Therefore, the rangein which the yarn extends is limited to the periphery of the knittingneedle holding the final stitch, so that yarn entanglement can beprevented sufficiently.

According to the invention, using a carriage provided with a pluralityof sets of cams, the hooking of the yarn extending from the knittingneedle holding the final stitch of the intarsia pattern to the yarnfeeding portion of the thread feeding member, and the release of thehooking are performed when knitting a knitting fabric opposing theknitting fabric into which the intarsia pattern is knitted. Therefore,yarn entanglement can be prevented without compromising theproductivity.

According to the invention, a knitting program for knitting acylindrical knitting fabric in which the front knitting fabric and theback knitting fabric are joined on both ends with an intarsia patterninserted, using an automatic flat knitting machine provided with afunction for displacing the position of the yarn feeding portion betweenbefore and after an intarsia pattern can be generated based on inputs ofcontrol codes. A control inserting means inserts a control operationthat is performed in a state in which the yarn extending from theknitting needle holding the final stitch of the intarsia pattern to theyarn feeding portion of the thread feeding member is hooked on an unusedknitting needle on the needle bed used for knitting the opposingknitting fabric, when knitting the knitting fabric opposing the knittingfabric into which the intarsia pattern is knitted. Therefore, a knittingprogram that prevents yarn entanglement can be generated. It is notnecessary to perform return knitting or the like in order to preventyarn entanglement, so that the stitches can be uniform and theproduction cost can be reduced.

1. A method of knitting an intarsia pattern knitting fabric, said method comprising: providing a flat intarsia knitting machine having a plurality of thread feeding members, the flat intarsia knitting machine being operable to displace a position at which a yarn is fed from any one of the thread feeding members to a needle gap during intarsia knitting, the needle gap being formed between a plurality of opposing needle beds; using the thread feeding members to feed yarn to the needle gap of the flat intarsia knitting machine while traveling along a longitudinal direction of the opposing needle beds so as to knit a cylindrical knitting fabric in which a front knitting fabric and a back knitting fabric are joined at both ends with an intarsia pattern inserted therein; halting the thread feeding members for feeding the yarn at a final stitch of the intarsia pattern after knitting the intarsia pattern; knitting a knitting fabric opposing the knitting fabric into which the intarsia pattern is knitted such that a yarn extending from a knitting needle holding the final stitch of the intarsia pattern to a yarn feeding portion of any of the thread feeding members is hooked on an unused knitting needle on one of the needle beds opposing the other of the needle beds to which the knitting needle belongs; and releasing the hooked yarn after knitting the knitting fabric opposing the knitting fabric into which the intarsia pattern is knitted.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said knitting of the cylindrical knitting fabric comprises alternately allocating knitting needles of each of the opposing needle beds to knit a front knitting fabric and to knit a back knitting fabric in a double bed flat knitting machine in which one of the needle beds is arranged on each side of the needle gap.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unused knitting needle is a knitting needle of one of the needle beds opposing the other of the needle beds to which the knitting needle holding the final stitch belongs.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a carriage having a plurality of sets of cams for driving knitting needles of each of the needle beds so as to perform a knitting operation, wherein said knitting of the knitting fabric opposing the knitting fabric into which the intarsia pattern is knitted comprises alternately hooking the yarn extending from the knitting needle holding the final stitch of the intarsia pattern to the yarn feeding portion of any of the thread feeding members on an unused knitting needle and releasing the hooked yarn.
 5. An apparatus for generating a knitting program for an intarsia pattern knitting fabric, the intarsia pattern knitting fabric comprising a cylindrical knitting fabric in which a front knitting fabric and a back knitting fabric are joined on both ends with an intarsia pattern inserted therein, said apparatus to be used with an automatic flat knitting machine including a needle gap arranged between opposing needle beds, and including a plurality of thread feeding members operable to feed yarn to said needle gap while traveling in a longitudinal direction of said needle beds, any of said thread feeding members being operable to halt at a final stitch of the intarsia pattern for each knitting course of the intarsia pattern based on a predetermined control code, said automatic flat knitting machine being operable to displace a position at which the yarn is fed by any of said thread feeding members to said needle gap during knitting of the intarsia pattern; said apparatus comprising: an intarsia knitting detecting device for detecting the presence of a control code with instructions for intarsia pattern knitting; and a control inserting unit for inserting, into a knitting operation, a control operation for controlling said automatic flat knitting machine so that, when said intarsia knitting detecting device detects the control code with instructions for intarsia pattern knitting, said automatic flat knitting machine knits a knitting fabric opposing the knitting fabric into which the intarsia pattern is knitted such that a yarn extending from a knitting needle holding the final stitch of the intarsia pattern to a yarn feeding portion of any of said thread feeding members is hooked on an unused knitting needle on one of said needle beds opposing the other of said needle beds to which said knitting needle belongs, and such that the hooked yarn is released after knitting the knitted fabric. 